A birthday celebration is in order! This year marks the 35th year of Orthopaedic Nursing. I have the privilege of having all of the bound issues of our journal in my office. From time to time, I look at that shelf with amazement. Where did all of that time go? I remember when the first issue of Orthopaedic Nursing was published and how excited NAON members were to receive their first journal. During those 35 years, nursing journals have come and gone. We are fortunate to say that Orthopaedic Nursing continues to thrive.
Over the last 35 years, there have been many changes to the journal. There have been changes to paper stock to decrease mailing costs; a more compact layout to reduce whitespace; smaller font to reduce page usage; and changes to the cover to keep a fresh and up-to-date look, to name just a few of the production changes. Changes have been made to the content by increasing evidence-based manuscripts; the addition of columns based on reader suggestions; and overall increasing the scholarly level of the journal. Changes were made to provide our readers with the best journal for the specialty of orthopaedic nursing.
Another area where change has occurred is in the increased number of continuing education (CE) articles that are presented each year to our readers. Our readers told us that CE opportunities through the journal were important, and we responded to that request by doubling the number of CE articles that are published each year. Orthopaedic Nursing is one of the largest CE providers among nursing journals.
Today, Orthopaedic Nursing is accessed online by thousands of individuals every month. This is due to our relationship with Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, the publisher of the journal. Our international reach has been increased, and we now have readers all over the world. This is important as we are now able to disseminate orthopaedic nursing knowledge around the globe.
Making sure that our specialty journal remains relevant and that it continues to be "the International Leader in Practice and Education" is something that the editorial board and columnists of Orthopaedic Nursing take very seriously. We listen to what our readers tell us, and we act on the suggestions made.
The Orthopaedic Nursing journal is what it is today because of the support received from NAON; the authors who write for the journal and the readers who take advantage of the information; the editorial board, columnists, and the content reviewers who ensure that the information published is timely and accurate; and past editors and reviewers who have made a significant contribution of their time and talent over the years. As we begin our 35th year of publishing excellence, let us all celebrate and be proud of what each contributes to the success of Orthopaedic Nursing.